U.S. patent application number 16/361354 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-19 for methods and systems for connected sales associate services.
The applicant listed for this patent is TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC. Invention is credited to Gopalakrishna Bylahalli, Jason Hixenbaugh, Rafeh Masood, Gunendra Vasant Patil.
Application Number | 20190287068 16/361354 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67905793 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-19 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190287068 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bylahalli; Gopalakrishna ;
et al. |
September 19, 2019 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONNECTED SALES ASSOCIATE SERVICES
Abstract
A method and system for providing a connected sales associate
service application via a mobile device. The application provides
for an integrated platform upon which various tools for providing
support to a sales associate are built. The application includes a
database of information regarding the sales associates and
operational information regarding a retail establishment, and
provides a user interface for allowing the sales associate to
access a central server for the retail establishment along with
multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile
devices. The user interface enables the store associate to
initialize and conduct VoIP calls with any of the other additional
sales associates through each of their respective mobile devices.
In addition, stationary user interfaces can be positioned
throughout the store to enable customers to request assistance from
sales associates.
Inventors: |
Bylahalli; Gopalakrishna;
(Bangalore, IN) ; Patil; Gunendra Vasant;
(Bangalore, IN) ; Masood; Rafeh; (Bartlett,
IL) ; Hixenbaugh; Jason; (Elgin, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC |
HOFFMAN ESTATES |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
67905793 |
Appl. No.: |
16/361354 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13486831 |
Jun 1, 2012 |
10242343 |
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16361354 |
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13438592 |
Apr 3, 2012 |
10163064 |
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13486831 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/063118 20130101;
G06Q 10/1091 20130101; G06Q 20/20 20130101; G06Q 30/0281 20130101;
G06Q 30/0261 20130101; G06Q 10/063114 20130101; G06Q 50/01
20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/06 20130101; G06Q 10/103
20130101; G06Q 30/0639 20130101; G06Q 10/0631 20130101; G06Q 10/10
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 10/10 20060101
G06Q010/10; G06Q 30/06 20060101 G06Q030/06 |
Claims
1. A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer
executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for
connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile
computing device, comprising: hosting a database of information
regarding the sales associates and operational information
regarding a retail establishment; and providing a first user
interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales
associate to access a central server for the retail establishment,
the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on
multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server,
wherein the user interface causes the central server to return and
display information regarding the sales associates accessing the
central server, and wherein the user interface allows the sales
associate to select the displayed information regarding one of the
sales associates accessing the central server to initialize a voice
over Internet protocol audio communication therewith.
2-9. (canceled)
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/438,592 entitled "Method and Systems for Connected Sales
Associate Services," filed Apr. 3, 2012, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present description relates generally to multi-channel
connectivity of a sales force and more particularly to methods and
systems for providing connected sales associate services.
BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART
[0003] In-store sales associates have traditionally been provided
with basic in-store electronic support including; for example,
point-of-sale (POS) support. Traditionally, POS support has been
embodied by an in-store non-mobile cash-register that is centrally
located to allow customers to pay for merchandise, and to allow
sales associates to provide limited, stationary sales support, such
as product lookups, sales manuals, etc.
[0004] Recent developments of robust mobile devices have led to an
implementation of a mobile platform POS support system. For
example, US Patent publication No. 2011/0231272 is directed to a
retail mobile POS software application that provides mobile POS
support to retailers. The described system includes a scanner and
an iPod Touch coupled with a retail POS system, and uses a touch
screen interface to POS features a salesperson would typically use
to help a guest, including purchases with credit, gift and debit
cards, cash, and making returns. The mobile system also combines
iPod Touch features with a magnetic stripe reader, barcode scanner,
and software to speed plastic and cash transactions.
[0005] For credit card and instant credit transactions, guests or
purchasers, write their signature on the device using finger entry
and control. Any employee who has the portable electronic device
can accept cash transactions. After entering all the products and
totaling the cost, the employee presses an on-screen "Cash" button
to electronically open one of any number of cash drawers installed
around the store. Guests (or purchasers) will continue to have the
option to receive a printed or e-mailed receipt, or both.
[0006] The described mobile POS software application, however, is
limited in that it is-simply an extension of the traditional POS
system. Today's sales associates, however, demand additional mobile
access to multichannel processing and support systems to provide
for enhanced sales activities. Thus, while the background systems
and methods identified herein, generally work for their intended
purpose, the subject disclosure provides improvements thereto,
particularly by providing systems and methods for connected sales
associate services by provided mobile connectivity to various sales
support systems through a single integrated mobile device.
SUMMARY
[0007] In particular, the subject disclosure provides systems and
methods for enabling Voice Over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") between
sales associates who are connected via mobile devices, VoIP
applications enable users to make mobile calls using an Internet
connection instead of cellular service. Such applications must
maintain a persistent network connection to receive incoming calls,
but rather than keep the application "awake" at all times (which
would drain the mobile device's battery significantly), the
application is kept suspended. When the application is opened, it
creates an active transmission control protocol ("TCP") connection
with a specified TCP server. The TCP server accepts the TCP
connection from the mobile device and begins sending "keep awake"
messages to the mobile device intermittently--a few times per
minute. These "keep awake" messages allow the application to "wake
up" from suspension every now and then to process any pending call
requests from other mobile devices. If the application shuts down,
the TCP server detects that the application is no longer running
and stops sending "keep alive" messages to that mobile device.
[0008] The present VoIP application relies on software development
kits ("SDK") provided by Apple, Inc. ("Apple") in connection with
its mobile operating system iOS 5.x. The present disclosure relies,
at least in one example, on two prominent open source projects
involving VoIP connectivity, namely, PJSIP and Siphon.
[0009] PJSIP is a comprehensive open source multimedia
communication library written in C language. PJSIP features a
native audio device which supports an echo canceller, output volume
setting, the ability to change input and output routes, and input
and output latency settings. PJSIP specifically requires use of an
SDK provided by Apple.
[0010] Siphon is an open source native iOS application, capable of
running on iOS 4.x and 5.x devices, which utilizes the internal
microphone and speaker or a headset. Siphon also preserves the
native design of iOS communication applications, and supports the
SIP standard protocol, thus enabling compatibility with other SIP
providers across varied platforms, (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows,
etc.) and devices (e.g., Mobile phones, PCs, Macs, Tablets, etc.).
Additionally, Siphon incorporates a graphical user interface which
preserves the design of Apple's native iPhone applications.
[0011] Finally, Applicant has relied upon Apple's SDK reference
materials regarding VoIP applications on iOS devices. These
references, which include online forums aimed at application
developers, provide background for how VoIP applications work,
including the sustained TCP connection and intermittent "keep
awake" messages noted above, which ensure that the suspended VoIP
application does not drain the mobile device's battery.
[0012] In the present application, the systems and methods
disclosed provide for an integrated platform upon which various
tools for providing support to a sales associate are built.
Specifically, the present application discloses an integrated
system for electronically providing relevant sales information
and/or tools to sales associates such that the sale associates are
capable of actively performing their service jobs. The system
provides for mobile and/or desktop device connectivity and includes
multi-channel integration in a social networking and retail
environment, reward, financial, marketing and/or POS services, and
VoIP connectivity between mobile devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] For a better understanding of the present disclosure,
reference may be had to various examples shown in the attached
drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates in block diagram form components of an
example computer network environment suitable for implementing the
example methods and systems for connected sales associate service
disclosed.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an example connected sales associate
system in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an example method by which a user may be
presented with a dashboard view of the connect application.
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates an example method by which a user with
different permissions may be presented with a dashboard view of the
connect application.
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view task associated with a selected connected user.
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view a listing of sales associates connected through the
application.
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view a map illustration of sales associates connected through the
application.
[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates an example method by which a user may
punch-in and/or punch-out for time keeping purposes.
[0022] FIGS. 9 and 10 each illustrate an example method by which a
user may view various applications associated with the user.
[0023] FIG. 11 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view additional applications associated with the user in a list
format.
[0024] FIG. 12 illustrates an example method by which a user may
add, modify, and/or delete an item management list.
[0025] FIG. 13 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view, create, and/or contact a sales force generated lead.
[0026] FIG. 14 illustrates an example method by which a user may
lookup a rewards customer information.
[0027] FIGS. 15-17 illustrate an example method by which a user may
add a customer to a rewards program.
[0028] FIG. 18 illustrates an example method by which a user may
customize the application layout of the example connect system
disclosed herein.
[0029] FIG. 19 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view other users operating on the example connect system disclosed
herein.
[0030] FIG. 20 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view another map of the current location of others users operating
on the example connect system disclosed herein.
[0031] FIG. 21 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view comments posted to a social media application on the example
connect system disclosed herein.
[0032] FIG. 22 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view metrics regarding a retail establishment, enterprise, and/or
personal performance on the example connect system disclosed
herein.
[0033] FIGS. 23 and 24 together illustrate an example method by
which a user may view and monitor activities associated with the
job of the sales associate on the example connect system disclosed
herein.
[0034] FIG. 25 illustrates an example method by which a user may
view personal information on the example connect system disclosed
herein.
[0035] FIG. 26 illustrates an example method by which a user with
proper authorization may view various report data on the example
connect system disclosed herein.
[0036] FIGS. 27A-D together illustrate an example method by which a
user may initialize a call in the Push-to-Talk application through
the connect application.
[0037] FIG. 28 illustrates an example view of the screen of a
mobile device which is attempting to initialize a call.
[0038] FIG. 29 illustrates an example view of the screen of a
mobile device which is receiving a call request.
[0039] FIG. 30 illustrates an example view of the screen of a
mobile device which is currently in call mode.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] The following description of example methods and systems is
not intended to limit the scope of the description to the precise
form or forms detailed herein. Instead the following description is
intended to be illustrative so that others may follow its
teachings.
[0041] A mobile application for connecting sales associates to
various service systems is disclosed hereinbelow. In general, the
system provides for mobile device connectivity for a sales
associate to access various retail systems, and for sales
associates to communicate with one another via VoIP-enabled mobile
devices (push-to-talk). In at least one example, the present
disclosure leverages mobile technology, chat functionality, social
networking, rewards, electronic catalogs, marketing and/or sales
data, retail online shopping technology and/or a consumers' social
connections, such as through a social media website, to enable each
sales associate to provide a customized and personal shopping
experience for multiple customers while maintaining their retail
location mobility. In at least one example, the VoIP system may be
gamified to provide a fun diversion during the shopping and/or
sales-associate experience.
[0042] In one example, the mobile application is a hybrid
application delivered on mobile devices such as an iPod and/or an
iPad. This example application may service multiple store
associates in multiple locations across different and/or similar
retail umbrellas. Still further, the example application may serve
as a single point of entry for tasks, applications, information,
reports, and/or other suitable programs. Still further, users of
the example applications may be provided with immediate access to
their daily task lists, lead management, time-clock management,
social media, store statistics, store performance, etc.
[0043] With reference to the figures, the following discloses
various example systems and methods for providing a system for
connectivity of a sales associate to a retail support network. To
this end, a processing device 20'', illustrated in the exemplary
form of a mobile communication device, a processing device 20',
illustrated in the exemplary form of a computer system, and a
processing device 20 illustrated in schematic form, are provided
with executable instructions to, for example, provide a means for a
retail organization to provide standard connectivity to a sales
associate for accessing a host system server 68 and, among other
things, for connecting to a hosted online retail environment (e.g.
a retail store), a social networking site, a user profile, customer
and/or sales support, other sales associates, personal shoppers,
etc. Generally, the computer executable instructions reside in
program modules which may include routines, programs, objects,
components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or
implement particular abstract data types. Accordingly, those of
ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processing
devices 20, 20', 20'' illustrated in FIG. 1 may be embodied in any
device having the ability to execute instructions such as, by way
of example, a personal computer, a mainframe computer, a
personal-digital assistant ("PDA"), a cellular telephone, a mobile
device, a tablet, an ereader, or the like. Furthermore, while
described and illustrated in the context of a single processing
device 20, 20', 20'' those of ordinary skill in the art will also
appreciate that the various tasks described hereinafter may be
practiced in a distributed environment having multiple processing
devices linked via a local or wide-area network whereby the
executable instructions may be associated with and/or executed by
one or more of multiple processing devices.
[0044] For performing the various tasks in accordance with the
executable instructions, the example processing device 20 includes
a processing unit 22 and a system memory 24 which may be linked via
a bus 26. Without limitation, the bus 26 may be a memory bus, a
peripheral bus, and/or a local bus using any of a variety of bus
architectures. As needed for any particular purpose, the system
memory 24 may include read only memory (ROM) 28 and/or random
access memory (RAM) 30. Additional memory devices may also be made
accessible to the processing device 20 by means of, for example, a
hard disk drive interface 32, a magnetic disk drive interface 34,
and/or an optical disk drive interface 36. As will be understood,
these devices, which would be linked to the system bus 26,
respectively allow for reading from and writing to a hard disk 38,
reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 40, and for
reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 42, such as a
CD/DVD ROM or other optical media. The drive interfaces and their
associated computer-readable media allow for the nonvolatile
storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program
modules, and other data for the processing device 20. Those of
ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that other types
of non-transitory computer-readable media that can store data
and/or instructions may be used for this same purpose. Examples of
such media devices include, but are not limited to, magnetic
cassettes, flash memory cards, digital videodisks, Bernoulli
cartridges, random access memories, nano-drives, memory sticks, and
other read/write and/or read-only memories.
[0045] A number of program modules may be stored in one or more of
the memory/media devices. For example, a basic input/output system
(BIOS) 44, containing the basic routines that help to transfer
information between elements within the processing device 20, such
as during start-up, may be stored in ROM 28. Similarly, the RAM 30,
hard drive 38, and/or peripheral memory devices may be used to
store computer executable instructions comprising an operating
system 46, one or more applications programs 48 (such as a Web
browser), other program modules 50, and/or program data 52. Still
further, computer-executable instructions may be downloaded to one
or more of the computing devices as needed, for example via a
network connection.
[0046] To allow a user to enter commands and information into the
processing device 20, input devices such as a keyboard 54 and/or a
pointing device 56 are provided. While not illustrated, other input
devices may include a microphone, a joystick, a game pad, a
scanner, a camera, touchpad, touch screen, virtual keyboard, etc.
These and other input devices would typically be connected to the
processing unit 22 by means of an interface 58 which, in turn,
would be coupled to the bus 26. Input devices may be connected to
the processor 22 using interfaces such as, for example, a parallel
port, game port, firewire, or a universal serial bus (USB). To view
information from the processing device 20, a monitor 60 or other
type of display device may also be connected to the bus 26 via an
interface, such as a video adapter 62. In addition to the monitor
60, the processing device 20 may also include other peripheral
output devices, not shown, such as, for example, speakers, cameras,
printers, or other suitable devices.
[0047] As noted, the processing device 20 may also utilize logical
connections to one or more remote processing devices, such as the
host system server 68 having associated data repository 68A. In
this regard, while the host system server 68 has been illustrated
in the exemplary form of a computer, it will be appreciated that
the host system server 68 may, like processing device 20, be any
type of device having processing capabilities. Again, it will be
appreciated that the host system server 68 need not be implemented
as a single device but may be implemented in a manner such that the
tasks performed by the host system server 68 are distributed
amongst a plurality of processing devices/databases located at
different geographical locations and linked through a communication
network. Additionally, the host system server 68 may have logical
connections to other third party systems via a network 12, such as,
for example, the Internet, LAN, MAN, WAN, cellular network, cloud
network, enterprise network, virtual private network, wired and/or
wireless network, or other suitable network, and via such
connections, will be associated with data repositories that are
associated with such other third party systems. Such third party
systems may include, without limitation, systems of banking,
credit, or other financial institutions, systems of third patty
providers of goods and/or services, systems of shipping/delivery
companies, etc.
[0048] For performing tasks as needed, the host system server 68
may include many or all of the elements described above relative to
the processing device 20. In addition, the host system server 68
would generally include executable instructions for, among other
things, coordinating a personal shopper relationship, providing a
social network, storing a user's personal information, facilitating
recommendations, providing access to merchandise, etc.
[0049] Communications between the processing device 20 and the host
system server 68 may be exchanged via a further processing device,
such as a network router (not shown), that is responsible for
network routing. Communications with the network router may be
performed via a network interface component 73. Thus, within such a
networked environment, e.g., the Internet, World Wide Web, LAN,
cloud, or other like type of wired or wireless network, it will be
appreciated that program modules depicted relative to the
processing device 20, or portions thereof, may be stored in the
non-transitory memory storage device(s) of the host system server
68.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated an overview of an
example system 200 for providing multiple sales associates with
access to multiple application providing connectivity to a retail
environment's network in accordance with an example of the present
disclosure. The system 200 is well-Suited for operation on a
distributed network system, such as, for example, a client-server
architecture utilizing the Internet, cloud, mobile network,
cellular network, or other suitable wired and/or wireless network.
The system 200 may be implemented in various other communication
networks and/or mediums as desired including, for example, a
localized, non-distributed network.
[0051] Generally speaking, the system 200 is operable to facilitate
online connectivity of multiple sale associates to various in-store
applications as well as networked and/or non-networked data
repositories. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in
the art that the number of sales associates concurrently using the
system 200 may vary as desired. In the illustrated example, a first
associate 210 may access the system 200 through any suitable device
20, such as a computer system 212, a smart phone 214, a tablet
computer 216, or any other suitable known or yet to be developed
communication device. In the disclosed example, the communication
device 20 is capable of Internet browsing, textual transmission,
audio transmission, VoIP communications and/or video transmission
(e.g., video chat, video phone, etc), but it will be appreciated by
one of ordinary skill in the art that the communication device may
be any suitable communication device including any voice, email,
text and/or video communication with or without use of other
transmission types.
[0052] Concurrently, in the illustrated example, a second sales
associate 220 may also access the system 200 through any suitable
device, such as a computer system 222, a smart phone 224, a tablet
computer 226, or any other suitable known or yet to be developed
communication device. Similar to the first user's devices, the
communication devices 222, 224, 226 are each capable of Internet
browsing, textual transmission, audio transmission, VoIP
communications and/or video transmission (e.g., video chat, video
phone, etc) as desired.
[0053] Each sales associate 210, 220 accesses the host server 68
through the network(s) 12. In this example, each associate 210, 220
accesses the system 68 through a separate network 12, but it will
be appreciated that the network access may be architected in any
suitable manner. Each of the network(s) 12 provides network routing
utilizing a cloud based network, although any appropriate routing
device (software, firmware, hardware, and/or the like) may be
utilized. The connection between the user 210 and the user 220 may
be through the network 12, through a social network 68', and/or
through the host system 68.
[0054] The illustrated approach may take advantage of the
convergence of mobile devices, IP telephony (e.g., VoIP, SIP, etc)
and Internet application such as, for example, Facetime, Skype,
etc. The example system 200 may also enable interactive
communications amongst user across varied platforms, (e.g., iOS,
Android, Windows, etc.), devices (e.g., Mobile phones, PCs, Macs,
Tablets, etc), networks (e.g. Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, etc.), and media
(e.g., voice, text, video, etc).
[0055] For allowing a user to setup and/or manage all of their
sales associate tasks, messages, etc. the host server system 68 may
make available to the sales associate one or more tools by which a
sales associate can, for example, interact with graphical user
interface elements to create, perform, manage and/or receive
information such as sales data, point-of-sale interactivity, sales
and/or marketing information, rewards information, credit
information, manuals, retail store information, employment data
and/or records, and/or any other suitable information.
[0056] By way of example only, FIG. 3 illustrates a screen shot of
various management tools that may be provided to a sales associate
at the user computer device 20 via the host system server 68. As
illustrated, a sales associate management application 300 may
include a sales associate area 302, by which a use can see
information regarding the currently logged in sales associate, a
logout selectable interface 304, which can be utilized to
disconnect and/or deauthorize the device 20 from the server 68, a
sales data area 306 to provide the sales, associate with links to
authorized sales data trends provided by the server 68, a listing
area 308 providing a listing of sales associates logged into the
system, an application area 310 proving a selectable listing and/or
iconic view of available applications, and a navigation area 312
allowing quick navigation of various user interfaces as will be
described herein. Additionally, any alerts, such as, for example
any news alerts, may be displayed to the sales associate at an area
320 as illustrated in FIG. 4. It will be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art that these areas need not be displayed
concurrently and/or in the exact manner as shown in FIG. 2 and that
variations may be made as desired.
[0057] More particularly, once the user navigates to the sales
associate management application 300 that is hosted in the host
server system 68, a determination may be made as to whether or not
the user is currently logged into the system as illustrated in FIG.
3. If the sales associate is not logged into the system and it is
not indicated to the system that the user has otherwise previously
used the sales associate management application 300, which
indication may be stored in a cookie stored on the device 20, or
may be provided as a dedicated device (e.g., permanently logged in
as a specific user), the sales associate may be provided with a
welcoming message and directed to the area 304 where the user may
access a log-in procedure.
[0058] When the user is logged into the sales associate management
application 300, the system may next determine the authorization
level of the user by querying the server 68. Upon determination of
the authorization level, the system may display different
information to the sales associate. For example, as illustrated in
FIG. 3, the sales associate is determined to be a manager at area
302. Accordingly, in this example, the area 308 may provide a
listing of the associates reporting to the manager that are
currently logged into the system. For example, logging in as a
manager may cause the server 68 to query the data repository 68A
and/or any other suitable system component to determine the
available sales associates currently logged into the system. It
will be appreciated, however, that information provided to the user
at the area 308 and/or any other area of the application 300 may be
predetermined and/or otherwise defaulted based upon the
authorization level of the user, and/or may be overwritten and/or
otherwise determined through user preferences set by the user and
associated with the user log-in. In some examples, the listing of
sales associates may include a listing of all associated sales
associates, with a visual indication on some and/or all users who
are not currently logged into the system, such as graying-out, etc.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, if the server 68 returns that the user of
the application 300 is a sales associate reporting to a manager,
the application 300 may display at the area 308 a listing of tasks
assigned and/or other relevant information to the associate by a
user of authority, such as for example the manager.
[0059] Turning now to FIG. 5, when a user presented with a listing
of sales associates, as illustrated in FIG. 3 selects and/or
otherwise indicates a selection of one of the listed associated
(for example by clicking, touching, and/or hovering over the name
of the associate), additional information regarding the selected
associate is displayed to the user at an area 502. In particular,
selection of the listed sales associate causes the server 68 to
query the data repository 69A and/or another suitable component, to
return information specific to the individual chosen, and to which
the user has the proper authorization to view, either through
managerial hierarchy or privacy settings. In this example, the
additional information regarding area 502 is a listing of associate
tasks assigned to the associate. An example task management
application is described in detail in U.S. Ser. No. 12/622,803,
U.S. Publication No. 2011/0126123, incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety. Additionally, the additional information may
include the selected users name, photo, profile, and/or a contact
method in an area 504.
[0060] Still further, as can be seen in FIG. 5, navigation to the
specific associate details may also be obtained by selecting a
"people" navigation area 506 on the navigation bar 312. It will be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that the
name and/or location of the navigation area 506 may be varied as
desired. Another example area 600 that may be displayed to the user
upon selection of the navigation area 506 is illustrated in FIG. 6.
In this example, selection of the "people" navigation area 506
causes the server 68 to query the data repository and/or any other
suitable system component to return the status and/or listing of
sales associates currently logged into the system, and/or currently
unavailable as desired. The results of the query by the server 68
is displayed in an area 602. In the illustrated example, the
listing includes all associates currently logged in to the
application 300.
[0061] In yet another example (not shown), the listing may be
filtered, sorted and/or otherwise manipulated by the user as
desired. Still further, the listing may by displayed as a list by
selecting an area 604, as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the
listing of associates (and their associated availability) may be
displayed as a map view 700 including an indication of each
associate utilizing, for example, push-pin type indicators as are
well known in the art, by selecting an area 702 as shown in FIG. 7.
In at least one example, selection of the area 702 may cause the
server 68 to query the data repository 68A for a map and/or other
illustration of the retail location in which the device 20 is
located. It will be appreciated that the device 20 may be located
through any known and/or yet to be discovered location service
including, for instance, indoor GPS and/or network location
services. Additionally, the server 68 may query each of the device
20 in use by the listed associates to determine their location as
well in either real-time and/or through other location services
including for instance check-in services. As will be understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art, the location indicators may be
updated as desired (e.g. to provide a real-time indication of their
tracked location) and furthermore, the color and/or label of the
indicator may be altered depending upon various status indicators
including the user's role, association with the user, etc. In at
least one example, the map view may be filtered by selecting the
area 704 to cause the application to remove and/or highlight
certain individuals and/or items in the map view as desired.
[0062] Turning now to FIG. 8, in order to provide shift time-clock
management tools, the example application 300 is provided with a
"punch tool" application area 802. In this example, selection of
the area 802 causes the server 68 to query the current time-clock
status of the logged in associate and present an area 804 to the
user showing the results of the query. For instance, the area may
display the current users' employment identification number and/or
any other suitable identifier as well as any cumulative hours,
punch-ins, punch-outs, breaks remaining, etc. The area 804 may also
provide selectable punch-in/punch-out selections and/or break
selections as illustrated. In this instance, as noted above, the
server 68 may already return the current status of the user
regarding the time-clock and gray out and/or other deactivate the
various selections that are unavailable due to the status of the
user. In any event, selection of any of the activated buttons will
cause the server 68 to update the time-clock status of the
individual user as necessary, and integration with the
accounting/pay time-clock application hosted on the server 68
and/or any other suitable system component may be seamlessly
achieved.
[0063] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, in order to provide various
applications to the user, the system provides a menu of
applications by selecting the area 902 in the navigation bar 312.
By selecting the area 902, the server 68 queries the data
repository 68A to determine the pre-set and/or customized
applications available to the user. Alternatively, the applications
may be stored on the device 20 itself, and the user may have global
access and/or restricted access to the applications based upon
their login credentials. In the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the
applications are listed in the area 904 as thumbnail icons. It will
be appreciated, however, by one of ordinary skill in the art that
the method of displaying the applications may vary as desired
including listing, etc. Additionally, the example area 904 includes
a page indicator 906 to visually describe to the user what page the
device is displaying in regard to the available applications. As
can be appreciated, the applications displayed in the area 904 may
be a inclusive and/or exclusive set of the applications provided
for in the application area 310 shown in FIG. 3.
[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the navigation area 312 may also
present the user with an area 1100 for accessing additional
applications and/or items as desired. For example, in this
instance, selection of the area 1100 causes the application to
query the server 68 and thus provide the user with additional
applications and/or features as desired and as authorized by a
query against the data repository 68A and/or a query against the
device 20. In this example, the additional applications are listed
in a selectable list view at the area 1110, although the
applications may be shown as selectable icons as per FIGS. 9 and
10.
[0065] Referring now to FIG. 12, there is illustrated an example
interface 1200 showing the example application launched by the
device 20 when a user selects the "Checklist" application as
illustrated in the area 310 in FIG. 3. In this example, the
checklist application allows the sales associate to add 1210,
modify 1212, and/or delete 1214 to-do items and/or other notes that
may be of interest to the sales associate. To populate and/or store
the created items, the server 68 may query and/or store the
information regarding the items on the data repository 68A.
Furthermore, as previously noted, any suitable to-do checklist-type
application may be provided including the to-do list previously
described in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/622,803.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 13, there is illustrated an example
interface 1300 showing an example lead management application
launched by the device 20 when the sales associate selects the
"Digital BC" application as illustrated in the area 310 in FIG. 3.
In this example, the lead management application is similar to the
to-do list management application in that it allows the sales
associate the ability to create a new lead 1310, view leads 1312,
and/or contact leads 1314 as desired. Still further, similar to the
to-do list application, to populate and/or store created leads, the
server 68 queries and/or stores the information regarding the items
on the data repository 68A and returns the relevant data to the
device 20 for display.
[0067] Tuning now to FIGS. 14-18, to allow the sales associate to
enroll the customer into a rewards program, the application
provides for an example interface 1400 displayed by an example
rewards log-in application launched by the device 20 when the sales
associate selects the "SYWR Signup" application as illustrated in
the area 310 in FIG. 3. In this example application, the device 20
may provide for a display 1410 to allow the sales associate to
input information regarding the customer sufficient to allow the
server 68 to lookup the customer information in its membership
database stored, for example, in the data repository 68A. While in
this example the customer email is provided in the interface 1410,
any item suitable for identifying the customer may be utilized
including the membership number, phone number, address, other
identifier, etc. By choosing the "next" button 1412, the sales
associate causes the server 68 to perform a lookup in the data
repository and, if a match is available, display the customer
information to the sales associate. As will be appreciated, the
sales associate may be presented with the option of canceling the
lookup at 1414.
[0068] If the server 68 fails to identify the customer, the server
will cause the device 20 to display a customer sign-up at FIGS.
15-17 allowing the sales associate to enter an assigned rewards
account number if available at 1500, enter and confirm the customer
information at the interface 1600, and confirm that the customer
has been enrolled with the server 68 at 1700. It will be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that while the flow
and interface diagrams illustrated are but one example enrollment
process that may be used, various other enrollment processes may be
utilized as desired without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0069] Referring now to FIG. 18, there is illustrated an example
interface 1800 that may be used by the device 20 to cause the
server 68 to modify the application and/or number of applications
displayed to the user in the are 310 as illustrated in FIG. 3. In
this way, the application may be truly customized to meet each of
the sales associates' individual needs.
[0070] Referring now to FIGS. 19-26, there is illustrated
additional example user interfaces to provide a digital experience
for a sales associate. In this example, the application provides
for an integrated retail vision that dramatically improves the
entire shopping experience in-store by connecting customers and
sales associates to one another. In one example, the present
shopping experience may include a mobile video chat session as
described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/273,459, entitled
"Systems And Methods For Providing A Distributed Mobile Call Center
For A Service Establishment," filed Oct. 14, 2011, and incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. In another example, the
present shopping experience may include an in-store assistance
application as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/364,441,
entitled "Methods And Systems For Providing Location Based
Assistance Via A Mobile Device," filed Feb. 2, 2012, and also
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0071] As described in the identified applications, the present
connected application may provide a customer with assistance
in-store and may allow a sales associate the enhanced ability to
provide the support. In particular, in one example, the application
may allow a customer to walk into a retail establishment and
provide a "check-in" and/or other identification means to inform
the application of the customer's presence. As illustrate in FIG.
19, in this example, an interface 1900 causes the server 68 to
query the data repository and/or the social network 68' to
determine which sales associates 1910 and which customers 1920 have
"checked-in" at the location. In this interface 1900, the sales
associate can see who the other associates are in the store and
they can determine which customers are nearby and may require
service.
[0072] For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 20, another interface
2000 may be similar to the map view of FIG. 7 in that the sales
associate can see both other sales associates as well as customer.
In this instance, the sales associate can view themselves on the
store map and can also see a map of other associates and customers
to maximize customer coverage. In addition, the sales associate can
hover over and/or otherwise select the customer or sales associate
to "push-to-talk," text, email, video chat, and/or otherwise
communicate with the selected person. The technical capabilities to
support this functionality may be provided by any suitable in-store
navigation aid including Wi-Fi, indoor GPS, etc. In the illustrated
example, the sales associate can also see how many associates
and/or customers are using the application at the area 2010, which
causes the server 68 to return the location and status of all the
users of the system. In one example, the sales associate may also
view photos at area 2012, comments at area 2014, and various store
metrics at area 2016, which as described may be stored at the
server 68, on the device 20, and/or at any other suitable location.
Still further, the sales associate may zoom in and see exactly
where the other associates and/or check-ins are located within the
department by utilizing the typical zoom bar 2020.
[0073] Turning to FIG. 21, there is illustrated an example
interface 2100 showing comments from selected the area 2016. As
shown, the sales associate can click-on and/or otherwise select the
comments tab 2014 and view all posts on any social networking feed
such as, for example, Pebble, Twitter, etc., related to the sales
associate's associated retail establishment. As will be understood,
in the area 2100, the user may be able to view, post, reply, and/or
otherwise manipulate various social media posts.
[0074] Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 22, there is illustrates
an example interface 2200 showing various store metrics. In the
illustrated interface, a month-to-date (MTD) metrics is viewed and
may be tied into any suitable metric measurement application
running on the server 68 and/or the device 20 such as, for example,
GameOn Metrics. As will be understood, the metrics view may be
filtered, sorted, manipulated in any desired manner for providing
meaningful store measurements to the sales associate, including
enterprise level, region level, store level (e.g. local),
department level, and/or sales associate level.
[0075] Examining now FIGS. 23 and 24, there is shown an example
interface 2300 for displaying various activities that may be
predetermined for performance by the sales associate, such as, for
instance, stocking shelves, organizing shelves, price changes,
signage changes, helping customers, unloading a truck, stockroom
activities, inspections/cleanings, cashiering, service desk, etc.
The sales associate may simply go about their daily activities as
they normally do, with the added ability to track the amount of
time spent on each task by selecting a start button 2310 and/or a
stop button 2312. As shown in FIG. 24, selecting the activity type
may display a clock 2410 showing the elapsed time on each task.
[0076] Still further as illustrated in FIG. 25, the application may
cause the device 20 to query the server 68 to provide the sales
associate with private information regarding the employment of the
sales associate. In particular, the associate may choose a benefits
application that allows the sales associate to see their personal
information that may be of value to the associate, such as paycheck
information, address/contact information, paystub information, tax
information, calendar, performance metrics, benefits, etc. It will
be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the privacy
concerns associated with providing personal information over a
shared device may be overcome by encryption, deletion of stored
data, etc. as desired. In addition to personal information, the
sales associate may be able to review human resources specific
information including job postings, new hire information,
orientation information, etc.
[0077] As illustrated in FIG. 26, the sales associate may be
provided with sufficient authorization to review the performance of
various individuals in the retail organization at an interface
2600. In this example, as a store manager, the sales associate
would have information available such as the number of associates
worked, total hours, payroll, hours by activity, etc. In one
embodiment, the interface 2600 displays a comparison of how the
displayed metrics change over time and/or a comparison between one
retail location and another location. Productivity may be provided
in the results and store and/or provided by the server 68 as an
enterprise as desired.
[0078] Still further, as previously noted, the application may
provide the sales associate with the ability to "talk" to other
customers and/or sales associate on additional devices 20. In one
example, the connect application may incorporate an auxiliary
push-to-talk application for enabling a two-way full duplex
peer-to-peer voice call. The example application may support live
talking and allow other applications to operate independently by
utilizing, for instance a SIP protocol which may be used on any
suitable device 20 such as an iPad and/or an iPod Touch. While
communication may be limited to interaction within a single store,
utilizing a single Wi-Fi network, communication may be broadened to
other locations and/or devices as desired. Additionally, by
suspending the application in the background and enabling the
application to receive intermittent "keep awake" messages from the
host system server 68, the application ensures low battery usage,
while providing incoming call notifications which include a
caller's name and/or caller's photo provided by the server 68
and/or the device 20.
[0079] As illustrated in FIG. 27A, a user can access the
push-to-talk application by selecting a "people" navigation area
2706 on the navigation bar 2712. Doing so will cause mobile device
20'' to query the host system server 68 to request data 68A in the
form of a listing of all sales associates currently logged into the
application 300. Thus, the application 300 will cause area 2702 to
display a list of all such associates, as shown in the display area
2702 in FIG. 27B as described. The user can then select a sales
associate from the list of available associates 2702 to bring up
the specified associate, as shown in FIG. 27C. To initiate a
push-to-talk call with that associate, the user selects the
"Contact Associate" button 2720 shown in FIG. 27C. Having done so,
mobile device 20'' will send a call initiation request through
network 12 to the host system server 68, which will forward the
call initiation request back through network 12 to mobile device
20''' of the intended call recipient. By virtue of the intermittent
"keep awake" messages sent from the host system server 12 to mobile
device 20''' of the intended call recipient, the call initiation
request will be forwarded to mobile device 20''', which will then
display the notification illustrated in FIG. 27D and which enables
the associate to either accept or ignore the call, as shown at 2724
and 2728, respectively. If the sales associate ignores the call,
mobile device 20''' will send an "ignore" message through network
12 to the host system server 68, which will forward the message
back through network 12 to the caller's mobile device 20'', thereby
alerting the caller that the intended recipient has rejected the
call attempt and terminating same. If the sales associate accepts
the call, mobile device 20''' will query the host server system 12
to establish a voice connection through network 12 between mobile
device 20''' and mobile device 20''.
[0080] FIGS. 28-30 illustrate additional examples of screenshots
for users who make or receive calls according to the push-to-talk
application. As shown in FIG. 28, the user has initiated a call
with "Mike," as shown by the outgoing call indicator 2810. The user
can end the outgoing call by hitting the end call button 2820.
Similarly, in FIG. 29, the user is receiving a call from "Alan," as
shown by the incoming call indicator 2910. Here, the user can
ignore the call from "Alan" by hitting the end call button 2920.
FIG. 30 illustrates how the screen may look during an ongoing call,
with ongoing call indicator 3010 lit green, and a timer 3015
showing how long since the call was initialized. As before, either
user can end the ongoing call by hitting the end call button
3020.
[0081] Additionally, one of skill in the art will appreciate that
the store may set up Internet-enabled call boxes throughout the
store which are accessible by customers. A customer who requires
assistance need only approach such a call box and press a button,
which will send an alert similar to that shown in FIG. 27D
indicating that a customer has requested assistance from a given
call box. Alternatively, a customer may use the call box to pull up
a map view of the sales associates as shown in FIG. 7, thereby
enabling the customer to seek out and find the closest sales
associate. In this way, customers can receive assistance from sales
associates relatively quickly, and need not wander about store in
search of sales associates.
[0082] Although certain example methods and apparatus have been
described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not
limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,
apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the
scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine
of equivalents.
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